Schedules of condition

Why you need a building survey before you buy a property or take a lease.

A lease will normally require you to maintain the property in good repair. Just occasionally the lease may state that you have to return the premises to the landlord at the end of the lease in better condition than they were at the beginning.

In all cases you need clear evidence of the condition of the building when you took it on. A survey will provide this. A schedule of condition that is attached to and is part of the lease at the outset is your safeguard for later.

What does a building survey cover?

You need to tell your chartered surveyor the purposes of the survey and its scope. A chartered surveyor would not report in detail on items such as the heating or electrical equipment in the premises. If you want these items covered, you must tell your chartered surveyor, who can arrange to bring in the appropriate experts.

Other items normally excluded, but where sampling and testing may be included if required, would be the presence of damaging (technically, deleterious) materials.

Specialist inspections are also available to cover such items as:

asbestos

the Disability Discrimination Act

rights of light

party wall legislation.

What if I lease only part of a larger building?

The survey will need to cover the part you are planning to lease but will also need to take account of the condition of the building as a whole. The cost of repairs to common parts may be apportioned among the different tenants.

What will the report tell me?

Our report will be presented in elemental format. In other words, it will describe each element of the property - roofs, walls etc. In turn it will also note the items that have not been covered, such as deleterious materials (unless you have requested this).

Our chartered surveyor will, however, note anything emerging from the inspection that gives cause for concern and suggest if further investigation is needed. Our chartered surveyor will also note anything that could not be inspected in the course of the survey.

The firm is Regulated by RICS (the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) with regards to professional practice and clients money. The firm is authorised by RICS as General Insurance Intermediaries. All contractual dealings with us are determined by out Terms of Engagement letter between ourselves and our clients and by our standard Terms of Business; these will be governed by English Law.